Nintendo’s colorful post-apocalyptic 4vs4 team multi-player TPS surprise hit of 2015 makes a return on the Switch, with much of the same but with improvements all around for a fresher experience.

The main mechanic of the series are the Inklings and Octolings, fashionable kids who can transform into squid form in order to swim in the ink they shoot for greater maneuverability. Further improving mobility is the ability to super jump straight to your allies positions. Inking turf fills your special meter, which when filled can be activated to unleash the special skill connected to your weapon set in use.

Do at least these three things

Play until you're at level 10

Use gyro controls

Play with friends in teams

Serious lore bit

Mankind has gone extinct after America was made great again. Millenniums passed until two humanoid races of cephalopod descent emerged: Inklings and Octarians. At first things were amicable between the two, but with the rising of the seas and their inability to swim in water (due to evolutionary changes) a war for territory broke out. Inklings won that with a last second break of luck, but the threat of Octarian invasion still looms large - not that it seems to worry the hedonistic Inklings.

The Game

Unlike in the previous game, this time around you rarely if ever encounter Japanese players, so now your lack of skills are less apparent. Private battles can be set up with your squid friends either online or locally in your local gaming den.

Maps and rank battle modes are rotated every two hours. You can check stats, upcoming maps and modes via the Switch phone app. Also has voice chat, but we usually just use Discord for that.

Regular Battle Mode

Turf War The main battle mode of the game. The team that controls the most ground with their ink after a 3 minute period wins. The name of the game is area control. Get to the center as soon as possible at the start, you can ink your spawn later on in the game.

Rank Battle Modes (unlocked at level 10)

For the more serious gamer, these are more competitive than the more casual Turf War. Players ranks are now separate for each mode.

Splat Zone(s) Teams need to control all of the zone(s) on a map by covering them with their ink. When a team has control, their timer starts to count down to zero. Whoever exhausts their timer first or has the least, wins. Teams losing control of the zone are issued a penalty timer that has to be exhausted first when they regain control. Nothing makes you lose in this quicker than losing your cool. Don't try to go solo and capture a guarded zone by yourself, wait for your team! Unless time is running out.

Tower Control Get on the tower and ride it along the rail to your opponent’s terminal. Whoever does that or gets the closest, wins. New to the mode, there are now checkpoints at certain points. You need to empty the checkpoint timer before you can continue your trip. When riding the tower, use the pillar for cover! The pillar covers more of you when you stay as a kid.

RainmakerFootballRugby Handegg, Inkling style. Teams try to take control of the Rainmaker, a single weapon of destructive capability, and carry it to the opponent’s pedestal for a decisive touchdown. The player carrying the Rainmaker can’t use their weapons or special, making them vulnerable to attacks - that is, if your opponents can survive a blast from the Rainmaker. Don’t hang on to it for too long though: When the Rainmaker’s timer runs out, splat goes the carrier. Whoever gets the Rainmaker closest to the pedestal, wins. If you're the only one remaining, splat the Rainmaker carrier first! This will usually provide your team with enough time to regroup.

Clam Blitz Another inkling sport mode, you collect clams and throw them in the opponents basket. However, you need to open up the basket with a Power Clam. You create one by collecting 10 clams that are scattered all across the stage. Throwing said Power Clam at the basket opens it. After that, the basket will be open for additional clams to be thrown in. The basket closes up again if no further points are scored after some time. Resealed baskets will also generate a Power Clam for counter-attacks. The first team to score 100 clams or the most after a set time wins the round. (Began December 12th 2017) You can extend the time a basket is open for attacks by throwing extra clams into it. This also extends the time your basket is protected from attacks. But this also works in reverse, so remember defense. You can super jump with the Power Clam. Use this detail to your advantage.

Other Modes

Salmon Rush A 4-player co-op mode where you fight off waves of crazed Salmonids for their golden eggs. The more successful you are, the harder they’ll come. Enlist yourself as a part-time child laborer at Grizzly Co. and collect various meager goods and gears for your endeavors. Read the manual Mr. Grizz provided you. READ IT.

Splatfest Once in a blood moon, a question pours out from a horrid, horrendously ancient telecommunication device. A week later, an orgy of violence and destruction follows where families and relationships are torn apart by the seams while inklings vandalize all or any stable surface with blasphemous graffiti. All the while writhing aquatic figures chant in unison while demonic music emanates from atop the gate to the sacrificial Turf War grounds. A spectacle of madness for tentacled gods to gaze upon with malicious glee, their schadenfreudian laughter echoing in your mind like tinnitus.

All to answer a simple question from that horrid, horrendously ancient telecommunication device: “Which is better, cats or dogs?” The winning side receive Super Sea Snails, which can be used as currency for some shady dealers. The losing side gets... less of the same. If you want a smoother experience, consider organizing a team with some friends. You can see what side your friends are and severe from them by checking the SplatNet 2 app.

Single Player

Hero Mode Solve the mystery behind the disappearance of renown pop goddess Callie with the help of, err… Merry? Millie? Well, whatever. Somehow the sworn enemies of the Inkling way of life, the Octarian army, are involved, so you get to brush up your skills and maybe acquire new gear.

Octo Expansion You are an Octoling who wakes up in a derelict underground metro hub system littered with test chambers. You don't know why you ended up there, but you do know you are headed for the promised land: Inkopolis. Harder than the regular single player campaign, this DLC offers the ability to play as an Octoling online. (You can let the game skip the difficult levels for you if you're that desperate for playable Octolings.)

Gears

Apparel isn’t just a way to keep fresh: Gears have various abilities that can give you an edge over the competition. Abilities provide beneficial effects, from improving ink consumption to providing special skills. Inklings wear three different sets of gears at a time: Headwear, shirts and shoes. Each gear has a main ability and up to three sub-abilities. A sub-ability is 3/10 weaker than a main and some abilities only appear as mains. When you purchase gears for the first time they’re without sub-abilities, but leveling them in combat reveals a random ability. Keep in mind that certain brands have a higher probability of revealing certain abilities than others.

New to this game, you can now plant certain abilities straight to your gear as sub abilities instead of playing one-hand-robber. However, you need to have the abilities as patches. You can get them by working for Mr. Grizz or scrubbing sub-abilities from your gear with the help of Murch, the shady dealer up in the square. The required amount of patches rises with the amount of already existing sub-abilities, meaning a full set might cost a total of 60 patches.

Weapons

Can’t go around inking and splatting without some kind of weapon, now can we? Choosing the right tool for the job is essential in this game, so knowing the pros and cons of each is vital. Each weapon and its variant comes with their own set of sub-weapon and special.

Use Sheldon’s test range to get a feel of a weapon.

Shooters are your general all-arounders that are great for close to mid-range combat. Pick shooters with a wide spread if you like to get in their faces.

.96 Gal - Same firepower, longer range. The price is an even lower firing rate.

Jet Squelcher - Longest range of all the shooters, even longer than the regular Splat Charger. Low firing rate and damage makes it less ideal in close combat.

Chargers rule the mid-to-long range. They either strike fear in their opponents or are massive dead-weights to their teams.

Splat Chargers / E-liter - Your regular sniper rifle that either come with or without scopes. Charge them up and shoot for 1-hit KOs. With scope-less variants you can store your charge for a short moment in the ink.

Goo Tuber - Shorter in range, but you can store your charges longer under ink and without losing it in a rough spot. Deadly in the right hands, which is almost never.

Squiffer - For close range charger play. Charges quickly, but lacks the range of her bigger cousins.

Bamboozler 14 - Even quicker than the Squiffer, but lacks the punch. Nevertheless you can splat squids with a heavy hit followed by a quick light tap, but you need a steady aim for it.

Note that chargers are not hitscan weapons anymore, meaning you have to take into account it shoots projectiles. Don't act as some kind of sniper god, but help your team by inking turf and walls for routes.

Rollers are for inking turf. Except with the carbon roller, they can instakill any inkling they roll over. Flicks are used for anyone out of range, but you need to get close to hit them.

Splat Roller - Regular rollers that are a perfect balance of speed and lethality.

Carbon Roller - Covers less and has a shorter flick range than the Splat Roller. But those are traded for greater mobility, which is perfect for ambush strikes. Recommended abilities: Ninja Squid.

Flingza Roller - Like a regular roller, except vertical flicks work like Dynamo's. A niche choice that is championed by the very few, if any.

Dynamo Roller - Inks like no other. Longest and widest range of the rollers, but is very cumbersome.

New to Splatoon, you can do a vertical flick by jumping and then "shooting" for a narrower but longer ink trail. Perfect for hitting some faraway foe or target. You can do the regular horizontal jump flick by doing it in reverse.

Blasters produce exploding shots that can ink anything and anyone caught near the blasts. One direct hit, one splat. Poor firing rate means you are toast if someone gets near.

Blaster / Range Blaster / Luna Blaster - If the first blast doesn't get you, the second one will.

Blasters are most effective in the area of their explosions, so zone your targets in that area.

Sloshers are buckets that produce an arching shot, so no use hiding behind cover.

Slosher - Your regular bucket. Nothing extra, just pure radness.

Tri-Slosher - Produces three arches of ink in one shot, providing larger coverage with less power and range. It's nothing less than lethal, though.

Sloshing Machine - Combines the Slosher with the Blaster. Shoots twisting projectiles that inks anything getting in its way.

Explosher - Shoots a hot blob of death that explodes on contact.

Splashdowns getting you down? You can easily deal with those with your arching slosher shots.

Dualies offer akimbo shooting action with great maneuverability. Jumping while shooting makes you roll, making you harder to hit and increasing your firing rate.

Splat Dualies - Your regular dualies. You can roll twice in one go before a short cooling period hits.

Dapple Dualies - Higher firing rate, quicker rolls but shorter range.

Dualie Squelchers - Most mobile weapon in this category with an added bonus of longer range when you have performed a roll.

Glooga Dualies - Shoots volleys of hot glue, meaning they're the most powerful of the selection. Cons: Slower firing rate and need to roll to get the most of the damage rate.

Tetra Dualies - How about four consecutive rolls instead of two? And you can shoot while rolling.

You can fall faster by rolling. Ideal in stages like Moray Towers.

Brushes are basically faster rollers with a narrower mark. Great if you need to get from point A to B fast. You won’t roll over squids with this, but you can flick ‘em to submission - you just need to get close.

Inkbrush - Be a speed demon and drive the bad guys insane with your inking. Not that great of a flicking range, but getting close shouldn't be hard with that kind of mobility.

Octobrush - Slower than the Inkbrush, but what it lacks in speed gains by the sheer destructive ability. You will not be ignored.

Splatling - The regular model provides an adequate range and firepower to mow down your opponents.

Mini-Splatlings - If speed is the essence, then this is your pick. Range is cut down significantly.

Hydra - When you need to get the job done. Superior range and fire power is slightly held back by the long rev up time.

Ballpoint Splatling - A two-in-one tool for writing off your opponents: Firing at first as a mini-splatling, the weapon switches to a longer range. Additionally you can charge whilst firing to keep the pressure on.

Brellas keep you dry from hostile spouts of ink while you creep closer for the kill.

Splat Brella - Shoots ink from the tip. Holding down the ZR-button opens up the Brella that shields you and anyone behind you. Hold long enough and the canvas detaches and floats forward, providing moving cover. The shield will regenerate soon enough.

Tenta Brella - For some heavy duty protection from the elements. Provides a wider shield and higher endurance, but slower to unfold.

Undercover Brella - Unlike with the other Brellas, the canvas doesn't detach at all. Instead it protects your front while you shoot ink, instantly recovering for every splat or assist you make.

Tips

If you don’t know a map, use the scout option in the lobby. Note that the same map has different layouts in different modes.

Swimming in ink quickly refills not only your ink tank but your health.

Use motion controls. Feel free to argue about it in the thread, but rare is a player who switches back to just dual stick controls after it clicks. Get used to them by going through the Octo Valley single player campaign.

Play for your team. Ink areas to provide greater mobility for yourself and your team.

Use the map to stay in the know of the situation. You know, the one behind the X button.

Super Jumping can quickly turn the tide of the game if you land safely. Don’t jump to a squid or beacon near the enemy unless you know what you’re doing. Likewise if you see an enemy’s super jump landing sign nearby, set up a welcoming party.

Use the right gear abilities to overcome shortcomings. Find your ink tank empty at inconvenient times too often? Expand the tank with an ability.

Most importantly: Have fun!

Goons

Nintengoons Discord server - For those who are more comfortable with Discord. Authenticate yourself in the #auth-waiting-room by typing !authme <yourforumname> and follow instructions.

Goon Friend codes - An editable list of goons and online games they play. I guess someone uses this.

I didn't have a Wii U so I'm excited to get to play this, since I only got to try the first game a few times at a friend's place. Is the single player really a substantial amount of content, or is it more like a 2 hour tutorial for the multiplayer like some games do?

I didn't have a Wii U so I'm excited to get to play this, since I only got to try the first game a few times at a friend's place. Is the single player really a substantial amount of content, or is it more like a 2 hour tutorial for the multiplayer like some games do?

The first one was more like a 6 hour tutorial for the multiplayer like some games do.
Think of it like if Mario Galaxy, only gravity is only in a single direction, and each planet is a little shooting gallery with a few unique things thrown in exclusively for the single-player (like bosses and some gimmicks). The little amount of stuff that was there wasn't bad, though.
Splatoon 2 seems like it'll be more of the same in terms of the single-player stuff, and I'm okay with that.

Splatfest Once in a blood moon, a question pours out from a horrid, horrendously ancient telecommunication device. A week later, an orgy of violence and destruction follows where families and relationships are torn apart by the seams while inklings vandalize all or any stable surface with blasphemous graffiti. All the while writhing aquatic figures chant in unison while demonic music emanates from atop the gate to the sacrificial Turf War grounds. A spectacle of madness for tentacled gods to gaze upon with malicious glee, their schadenfreudian laughter echoing in your mind like tinnitus.

All to answer a simple question from that horrid, horrendously ancient telecommunication device: “Which is better, cats or dogs?” The winning side receive loads of shells. The losing side gets... less.

Since the last COD suuuuuuucked and I'm tired of Blops3 I'm hoping this can fill the cod-shaped hole in my heart

Oh it will fill so, so much more. Your entire heart will be swallowed by the tentacle bearing boiling pitch of Splatoon. You will awake on full moons to find yourself having gone on horrible killing sprees in which anyone who prefers cake to ice cream will have died by your hand. You will stare at the monster you've become in the mirror and only one word will come from your lips

Are there any male hairstyles where they let their tentacle hair down?

There's 4 hairstyles in the demo for boys, there's one where your hair is kinda half down to the side? But not really, its still tied in the back. The other two have pretty super short normal dude hair (one spikey short tentacles and the other one basically buzzed), and the fourth is the classic tentacle ponytail.